On Saturday, April 11, 2015, I stood on Valencia Street for 12 hours
and offered free portraits to anyone that passed by.
After living in San Francisco for over 20 years, I wanted to capture photos of the people in one of my favorite neighborhoods, and create a large-scale, participatory art experience for those that were willing to take a risk.
As cliche as it sounds, every person is beautiful and interesting in their own way. Although some people responded with an automated "no thank you," a surprisingly large amount
of the people walking by were interested in the experience and happily agreed to participate. It was fascinating to see how many people initially said no, and then reconsidered. What sparked them
to change their minds?
476 people, babies, and dogs agreed to let me take their portrait. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated. It's so easy to pass up an opportunity, and more difficult to engage. Thanks
for stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a chance.
Click on a photo below to find the download link. As promised, these portraits are completely free, and can be used however you'd
like. If you want to credit me, you can link juliaotest.com or find me on
Facebook.
